The sky was broken.

Just like her world.

In this hellish landscape, she could hardly see. Stars dotted the oily pools around her, growls whispered through her ears, phantasms of the beasts to be born.

But she knew this path. She had walked it before. Every moment of that day was burned into her mind's eye, so she walked through the ghosts of her memories, retracing each step, until she reached it.

Here the moon broke through the oppressive presence of the dark clouds, a cylinder forever cleared in their midsts from that day. It seemed so long ago now. Centuries, she had wandered this earth. Once she believed that time could cure all ailments, even those that had embedded themselves in her very soul.

But now she knew the truth. That no amount of time, no distraction, no change in this world could ever bring her the peace she longed for.

It was only death that Salem now desired. It was the only thing that could free her from the prison of her own mind, which of itself could make a hell of heaven itself. So long as she lived, she would suffer. That was her curse.

So she would live no more.

Salem took the first step onto the stairs, her heart beating furiously in her chest. Immortal she might be, but she was human still. Deep in her mind screamed a voice that told her to stop. Even though she wished for this with her whole being, the animalistic instincts that the gods had bestowed upon her rebelled.

She welcomed that panic. She would defy it. Salem alone would defy the gods their will.

Here, not even the Grimm dared to come. Here, it was perfectly silent, save for her footsteps echoing down the impossibly vast staircase towards the epicenter of the clearing. To the edge, her destination. It was a pool from which monstrosities had been born, the greatest fears of mankind. She dared a new threat to emerge now. It could not harm her. Her purpose was inevitable. Salem would not be deterred.

As ever, she remained alone as she approached.

When she reached the lake of darkness, she knelt, and reached for its venomous embrace.

Her hand sank into it, and it burned.

Salem smiled.

She had not known pain for so long, and in that moment she knew she was right. This lake could offer her the salvation she sought. It could hurt her. It could kill her.

Peace had been lost to her, but now she found it as she disrobed. She wanted to feel every moment of this. Wanted to feel the darkness eat away her skin and destroy her flesh. No garment would offer her even a moment's reprieve.

Bare before the moonlit sky, Salem closed her eyes. Arms outstretched, she took her first step.

It was like stepping into fire. Her face twisted in pain and her leg went numb as her flesh screamed in protest. She tried to lift her other leg to take another step, but the one which bore her weight collapsed under her. Salem slammed into the surface of the lake, and the darkness ravished her.

Her chest heaved and she collapsed sideways as fire screamed through her veins. Stars exploded in her vision as she sank up to her wrists in the muck to catch herself. Her fingers curled against the nebulous bottom and she could not even scream. Nothing but a pitiful whine escaped her lips as her world was consumed by fire.

Burning everywhere. Her face was scalded by the splash of her land. Fiery needles shot through her thighs and lanced against her breasts. She could not bear it.

She scrambled and slid as she groped for the land, just out of reach, but she had to escape. The pain consumed her, and she clawed her way back to the land where she lay, shivering and quaking like a child. Her tears slid down her cheeks, burning against her ruined skin.

And she knew she had failed.

With nothing left to do, she wept and gasped, hoping for the pain to leave. It was an eternity before she could breathe, and when she found air again, all she could do was scream as the vestiges of pain wracked her body over and over. She screamed and screamed and screamed until her throat was raw. She had no idea how long she screamed for, but eventually her throat was too raw to go on, and her cries faded to hoarse whimpers.

She thought she had known pain.

She had been wrong.

So consumed was she in her despair, that Salem almost missed the growing growl. It thundered, low at first, then built as it echoed off the stoney mountain around her. It pulsed, and Salem realized, it was laughing.

"Did you think you could so easily deny our will?" The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. Salem looked around, pulling her dress to her in a meagre attempt to cover herself.

The lake was evaporating, a layer of shadow coalescing above its surface, pooling in the center until a thick, scaled tendril emerged. Wreathed in shadow, it came to her, slithering across the lake. As it reached her it reared up in its full grandeur, blocking out the sun with smokey wings.

It was the Brother of Darkness.

"Did you think we would be such fools as to allow you any death? It is true that this place can kill you." It swept downwards and it shrunk until it was no larger than a snake. It coiled across her body and around her, until its mouth touched her ear. "But you will never summon the will to withstand the pain long enough to perish. As all humans, you will try to escape the pain. You will become a slave to it, and you will always claw your way from it before you die."

Salem tried to shrink away from its icy touch, but it wound itself tighter around her. She could not move.

"Please," Her voice seemed so frail and throat so raw. "Kill me. Let me die."

"No, child." The shadows whispered to her. "You are doomed to live forever."

"I tricked you. You must hate me. Take out your fury upon me. Destroy me, until there is nothing left. Please…" She begged. "Let me be with him."

It loosened its grip ever so slightly. "You came to me. Many had been denied their wishes by my brother, but none had dared to venture to me." Its tail touched her cheek, wiped away a tear. "For that, you will always have my gratitude, but what you ask is impossible. Your crimes were too great, and your penance is not yet due."

"How much must I suffer?" Salem demanded. "Each day I have born a burden greater than any other. My heart bleeds within me, I can feel it. For centuries, I have roamed these lands and suffered. My crimes had an end, though horrible they were. But this punishment has none. Release me, I beg you. Let me die."

She wanted to sound strong. To demand this of him. But she could not be strong now. She had come so far… finally the end had been in sight, only to know that it was beyond her. The tears came again, and Salem covered her face in shame.

She felt a light brush against the inside of her wrist, and allowed the serpent to push one hand from her red eyes. "You must hate me, my dear." It whispered. "I understand. We have been cruel to you, and it may be hard for you to believe, but it does pain me to see you like this. My brother is of strong will, I have ever been weak. When he created you, I only ever wished that you would love me as you did him, but none did. My jealousy made me a fool. It is why I rejoiced so heartily when you sought me, and why your betrayal pained me so much. But rage fades, and regret blossoms in its wake."

"Then you know your brother's punishment was made in excess." Even now, Salem hoped.

"Perhaps it was, but what am I to do of it? I have not the power to undo his own." The serpent began to recede, but Salem grasped at it. The cold sent shivers up her arms, but she ignored it.

"But you do. You have ever been stronger than your brother, it is why we feared you so. When you fought a war for this world, you were winning. It is why you made a pact, to work together. You nearly destroyed all he had created. You are stronger than he is." Salem looked to him. She knew it to be true, and she needed him to understand her faith.

The serpent bowed its head to her. "You honor me as no other of your kind has, little one. But I warred with my brother once, and I regret it even now. It is not the same, but it is not so different than the piece of you you feel missing from you now. The one who was taken from you… my brother and I have been together since this realm came to be, and we shall be all that is left at its end. When we warred, I missed him dearly. He did not feel the same. His wrath was always greater than his sorrow, and should he have slayed me, I do not know that he would have been remiss."

"But.. you would have been." Salem sank to her knees again. "Because you know what it is to suffer loss."

"Yes… it is why I made peace."

"Then you understand what I now feel. What you felt, but with the burning passion of a mortal mind. One who knew only one love, as you did, but savoured every day knowing it would one day come to pass. The only solace offered to us was knowing our pain would be finite. That death would bring its sweet release to our doors one day.

"What if your brother had perished? How, then, would you have felt? It must not be unlike how I feel now, every day."

The serpent coiled around her once more, soft and warm now. "I am sorry, child." It whispered as she embraced it back. "I cannot kill you, but if there is anything that I can do to offer you reprieve, tell me. I granted you a wish once, but could not maintain it. I shall not fail you again."

But Salem turned away then. "If you cannot kill me, then there is nothing. All that would ease my pain is him."

The serpent grew still.

"Then, perhaps, I can indeed be of service."

Salem watched as the serpent settled across from her, its tail in the lake. "I do not understand."

"I cannot kill you, but perhaps I can return your loved one to you."

Her breath rattled out of her lungs, and she grew impossibly still. "How?" She whispered.

"My brother's wrath is boundless. He denied your wish to maintain balance here, but he no longer cares to tend this garden. Such reservations would not haunt him now. There is but one thing he cares about that remains here…"

"... Me." Salem felt the revelation sweep through her. "Only my suffering."

"Indeed." The brother of darkness spoke, and began winding himself through the ashen sand. "Should he believe you are about to escape his punishment, he would be sure to ensure it endures."

As the serpent stopped moving, she saw it was staring at a rocky outcrop, far above the lake. "He knows of this place, and that it holds within it the power to kill you. But he does not understand pain the way I do. He does not understand how it will strip the reason from your mind. But purpose he does understand.

"If you throw yourself from that ledge, he will feel your life waning as you plunge into the depths of my lake. He will think that you have found a purpose strong enough to push you through your suffering. That your desire to join your beloved in death is so strong, that you would endure any torture." It turned back to her. "And so he will deny you it. He will return to life the one you loved, and he will make it known to you. Before you perish, you will sense Ozma's return. And you will stop at nothing to survive."

This time, when the tears came, they were of joy. "I… Thank you."

"Do not thank me, nor think this would be the end of your suffering, little one. He would not return Ozma without turning him against you. I do not know how, but my brother is cunning, as cunning as I am. Ozma will return, but you will not find the man you once loved."

"But… he will live."

"Yes,"

"And… will he be happy?"

The serpent settled back to the ground. "That I cannot answer. Perhaps in time. Perhaps you can aid him with that."

Salem stood, shakily. "Then yes, I will do it."

The serpent was quiet for a moment, then began to slide back into the lake. "The cost will be high, Salem of the Tower. I can offer you no promises that this will bring an end to your suffering. But perhaps, for a time, it might delay it."

And then it was gone.

"For him, anything." She spoke, wondering if the brother hear. She hoped he did. "Thank you. I know my people were not kind to you, but I hope that you know now that I shall always be in your debt… and I do love you as I once loved your brother."

She turned, eyes on the outcrop, and began to move.

Salem knew not how much time had passed, but she found herself on the precipice of the cliff, looking down into the lake of inky darkness. Her feet had felt so light as she climbed. Light as her heart. Light as a feather.

And soon, she would have her beloved again.

AN:

I felt a bit like the story was too... one sided. I wanted to give Salem a bit more motivation. So here's my shitty attempt to make it in a way I like more

Hope you enjoyed. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers,

Unjax